Nine out of ten McDonald’s franchise owners blamed rival quick service restaurant Chick-fil-a for lost chicken market share, according to a report from Kalinowski Equity Research.
“They lack a truly high-quality chicken sandwich to compete with Chick-fil-A, which is McDonald’s most important competitive threat in the U.S.,” Mark Kalinowski, chief executive of Kalinowski Equity Research, told MarketWatch.
The most chicken market share
The restaurant-focused research firm asked 20-30 McDonald’s franchise owners across the U.S. for their thoughts on the rival concept costing the chain “the most chicken market share.”
The respondents had only two answers – 89% answered Chick-fil-a, while 11% selected Popeyes. The two quick service brands battled for chicken supremacy throughout 2019, with a resulting increase in sales and foot traffic for both brands.
Anonymous comments indicated that several factors were to blame, including service and staffing.
Most comments, however, focused on chicken sandwiches.
“We have to get a sandwich that matches our competitors’ taste and quality,” wrote one franchisee. Another suggested the brand “shamelessly copy Popeyes’ excellent sandwich.”
A top priority
In July 2019, the National Owners Association, a group of McDonald’s franchise owners, called chicken sandwiches a “top priority” for the brand to bring in more customers and compete in the chicken sandwich wars.
The chain began testing a fried chicken sandwich containing the controversial ingredient MSG in select markets in December 2019. Although MSG isn’t found in any of the chain’s other menu offerings, both Chick-fil-a and Popeyes use it to enhance the flavor of their sandwiches and analysts called the move an indication of how serious McDonald’s is about entering the chicken sandwich wars.
The Crispy Chicken Sandwich is a fried chicken patty topped with butter and crinkle cut dill pickles, while the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich features tomatoes, lettuce and mayo. Both sandwiches are served on a potato roll. The suggested price of the Crispy Chicken Sandwich is $3.49 and the Deluxe version retails at $4.09.
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